Darla Hood was one of the Little Rascals who played the childhood love interest of Alfalfa. A couple of the other boys had their eyes on her as well (Butch and Waldo). She was in the series from 1935 to 1941. The films were originally called “Our Gang,” but later sold to MGM. When Hal Roach syndicated the films for TV, he had to change the name to “The Little Rascals.” Darla and Alfalfa often sang to each other — Alfalfa singing bubbles one time.
Born an only child in Oklahoma, her parents got her into singing and dancing at a young age. Her mom took her to the Hal Roach Studios in California for an audition when she was only three years old. Her first film part in the Rascals was in 1936, at age 4.
Darla went to high school at Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, California, and organized a vocal group. She continued to sing in nightclubs and TV commercials up until her untimely death in 1979. She was organizing a Little Rascals Reunion for 1980, but never got to attend. After a minor surgery at a North Hollywood hospital, Darla Hood died suddenly from complications, at the age of 47.
